Redefining productivity in today's hyper-digital world

Welcome to the latest edition of The Tech Thread, where we discuss all things tech and unravel how they impact the barometer of your organization's success.

We're living in times when there is an online tool or service available for pretty much anything that we?need. From sophisticated project management tools to simple solutions to help you focus better at work, there is something for every need of ours. The impact of technology on employee productivity has been profound and multifaceted.

However, as I stop to look at just how much of our lives is ruled by technology, I can't help but remember the law of diminishing marginal utility from my college economics class. The law states that everything else remaining equal, as you use or consume increasing amounts of any product, the utility (or satisfaction) derived from each additional unit declines. In fact, the marginal utility can even drop down to negative utility as it may become entirely undesirable to consume another unit of the product.

Given the current scenario, I wonder:?Can there be something like too much technology?

Digital innovation or digital burnout?

While there are many benefits to the constant state of connectedness that technology has enabled, it comes with several disadvantages, too. The boundary between work life and personal life has become so blurry in the past few years that many people report feeling like they are always on call.

Additionally, the modern concept of downtime often involves mindlessly scrolling on social media, leading to a dangerous mix of exhaustion, disillusionment, anxiety, and a resulting loss in productivity. These classic burnout symptoms only spiral further, and people often feel like they're stuck in an endless loop of jumping from one screen to another.

The good news is that this can be easily combated by following some simple but crucial steps to counter the "always on" mentality, as explained in this insightful article that delves into the exact causes of burnout and what organizations can do to prevent it.

Technology is not the enemy

All this talk about how technology negatively affects our productivity and mental health can lead us to view it in a negative light. However, it's important to remember that technology has always been an asset. It's how we utilize it and how much control we give it over our lives that determine what kind of impact it has on us and society as a whole.

Take AI, for example. Generative AI has taken the world by storm over the last year and a half. It has shown us what technology is capable of and how much of it remains unexplored, waiting to be uncovered. Contrary to popular belief, generative AI is not meant to take over jobs; rather, it's a tool that can be used to maximize human potential.

We are on the brink of a transformative revolution that will significantly change our approaches to work, problem-solving, and productivity for the better. As we delve into the future of work, it is evident that AI will be crucial in shaping this new era, with its substantial impact already apparent across numerous fields.

In this enlightening video, Forrester principal analyst David Brodeur-Johnson says that the majority of human performance happens in a state of flow. However, given the constant state of distraction we live in, from email and chat notifications to?meeting requests,?it's almost impossible to sustain that state of flow.

Generative AI can help us in this interruption-filled world that requires constant context-switching between different aspects of our work life. This?constant switching can put immense pressure on our cognitive ability to build up focus. It's in these scenarios that generative AI can ease the strain and help employees streamline their work.

David goes on to explain that the main thing to remember is that true employee satisfaction happens when employees feel valued and recognized at work, and technology is what makes the path to this easier.

As the world around us changes and progresses at a rapid pace, we cannot stick to traditional measures of productivity. A little bit of thoughtfulness, consideration, and willingness to adapt can go a long way in making the future of the employee experience much more rewarding for the workforce.

That's all for this edition, folks! If you like what you're reading, hit the subscribe button, and we'll keep you posted on all things tech.